Friday 11 April – Saturday 21 June 2025
Friday 11 April – Saturday 21 June 2025
The Dobell Drawing Prize is Australia’s leading prize for drawing, an unparalleled celebration of technique, innovation and expanded practice. Presented at the National Art School in partnership with the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, this biennial exhibition continues to highlight the enduring relevance and changing role of drawing within contemporary art practice. The winning work enters the National Art School’s significant collection, built over the past 120 years.
The 24th edition is curated by Lucy Latella and will showcase the work of 56 finalists from 965 entries nationwide, selected by judging panel Vernon Ah Kee, Dr Yolunda Hickman and Paula Latos-Valier AM. Through works of various media – from coloured pencil, charcoal, chalk, watercolour and clay, to expanded materials such as human hair, rope, aluminium, LED, and video – they consider a range of themes including domesticity and social dynamics, environmental care, and impacts of climate change and colonisation.
Badra Aji
Margaret Ambridge
Chesca Athas
Julian Aubrey Smith
Michael Bell
Ellen Bird
Cath Brophy
Osvaldo Budet
Peter Burke
Tom Carment
Amelia Carroll
Genevieve Carroll
Tracey Clement
Hannah Cooper
Sal Cooper
Artemisia Cornett
Maryanne Coutts
Jaq Davies
Jan Davis
Esther Erlich
Imogen Eve Rowe
Philip Faulks
Todd Fuller
Sue Grose-Hodge
Yvette Hamilton
Fe Heffernan
Emryn Ingram-Shute
Eamonn Jackson
Susan Jacobsen
Josephine Josephsen
Martin King
Anke Klevjer
Jane Lander
Rosemary Lee
Brian Martin
Jennifer Mills
Michelle Molinari
Monique Morter
Andrew Nicholls
Nadia Odlum
Toshiko Oiyama
Montgomery Parsons
Jose Patalinghug
Julie Paterson
Nic Plowman
Jaime Prosser
Linda Schneider
Amy Sibenaler
Sally Simpson
J9 Stanton
Floria Tosca
Claire Tozer
Shonah Trescott
Leonardo Uribe
Paul White
Agus Wijaya
NAS Galleries
Friday 11 April – Saturday 21 June 2025
Monday to Saturday, 11am–5pm
William Dobell’s love of drawing was recognised in 1993 when the Art Gallery of New South Wales established an annual drawing prize in his name, initiated by the trustees of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation (SWDAF). For twenty years, the annual Dobell Prize for Drawing encouraged excellence in drawing and draughtsmanship among Australian artists. Past winners include Kevin Connor, David Fairbairn, Virginia Grayson, Nicholas Harding, Ann Pollak, Gareth Sansom, Jan Senbergs, Garry Shead and Aida Tomescu.
Building on the legacy of this respected award, the National Art School partnered with the SWDAF in 2019 to produce the inaugural Dobell Drawing Prize at NAS. This new iteration of the Prize celebrates technical skill, innovation and expanded definitions of drawing. In 2019, the $30,000, acquisitive prize was awarded to Justine Varga, who uses photographic processes as a means of drawing.
The National Art School provides a context for the Dobell Drawing Prize to thrive in. The exhibition is part of the NAS Festival of Drawing, a biennial event organised by the School’s National Centre for Drawing. The festival includes talks, workshops and a research symposium. The Prize also compliments the School’s esteemed academic drawing program: drawing is a core component of all studies at NAS and is taught throughout each degree.
Dobell Prize for Drawing at the Art Gallery of NSW
Visit the AGNSW website for the full archive of the Dobell Prize for Drawing (1993–2012)
Although a reserved and unassuming man, William Dobell’s two years teaching at the National Art School had a profound effect on his students. Many describe his love for drawing, and his outstanding draughtsmanship was apparent when he demonstrated drawing in his classes at NAS.
Sir William Dobell was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, on 24 September 1899. He moved to Sydney in 1924 to study at the Julian Ashton Art School, where he met many artists who would later teach at the National Art School. In 1929 he won the Society of Artists Travelling Scholarship and lived in London for ten years, painting and studying at the Slade School of Fine Art. When his scholarship ran out after three years, he supported himself by producing posters and illustrations for magazines, acting as an extra in films, and working with fellow Australian artists decorating the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow in 1937.
On his return to Sydney in 1939 his friend Douglas Dundas offered him a part time teaching position at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School). He taught drawing from nature, costume drawing and became highly respected as the ‘life master’, teaching life drawing in the studios on the top floor of building 16. He taught at NAS until 1941, when he left to work as a camouflage artist during WW2. After the war, Dobell occasionally filled in as a lecturer at NAS, teaching the students studying there under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme.
In 1943 Dobell won the Archibald Prize, Australia’s principal award for portraiture, for a painting of fellow artist and former NAS student Joshua Smith. The award was immediately challenged on the grounds that Dobell’s entry showed a degree of distortion, which made it a caricature rather than a true portrait, but the court upheld the judging panel’s decision. Resultant newspaper publicity greatly expanded interest in Dobell’s work, but as a result of the controversy Dobell withdrew to Wangi Wangi, a small coastal town north of Sydney, where he set up a studio. He won the Archibald Prize twice more, in 1948 with a portrait of former NAS student Margaret Olley, and in 1959 with a portrait of Dr Edward McMahon. Dobell continued to draw all his life, filling sketchbooks and recording the life and people of Wangi Wangi. He was knighted in 1966 and died on May 14, 1970.
The Sir William Dobell Art Foundation was formed in 1971 from the artist’s bequest with instructions that ‘a Foundation be established for the benefit and promotion of art in NSW.’ The Foundation has sponsored a wide variety of projects since then, including exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, scholarships and major public art commissions. The SWDAF first joined forces with NAS in 1998 to present the Dobell Drawing School – an annual, week-long workshop for year 11 students. Now in its twentieth year, this educational partnership has expanded to include the Dobell Regional Teachers’ Workshop, which gives rural teachers the opportunity to work with a practising NAS artist.
The new Dobell Drawing Prize runs in alternative years to the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, affirming the SWDAF’s commitment to continuing the development of drawing as a medium in its own right, and a fundamental element of the visual arts.
Art Director of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation Paula Latos-Valier states:
‘The Dobell Drawing Prize has many great attributes – it is very democratic in that any artist can enter and there are no restrictions to subject matter or medium. This freedom from curatorial constraint is a distinguishing feature. The Prize has always championed the idea of peer group assessment by inviting respected practicing artists to select the finalists and determine the prize-winner. Lastly, being an acquisitive prize means that the winning work goes into a public collection and leaves a tangible legacy for future generations. The Foundation is excited that this will continue in this new partnership with NAS.’
Congratulations to Jane Grealy who has won the 23rd Dobell Drawing prize with her work Maria’s Garden, Scheme C.
Catherine O’Donnell said about the judges’ decision: “Jane’s work is beautifully executed, very skilful but also expanding drawing to a different level with her layering of architectural elements. It was a unanimous choice. We did look at lots of different works, the standard was very high so it was a tough decision, but we came back to this one. It’s about so many things, the balance between nature and the built environment, about time passing, the past, present and future. The work looks outstanding in the gallery, it’s very well deserved.”
The piece depicts Grealy’s neighbour Maria’s garden, whose philosophy is “waste not, want not”. Immigrating from war-torn Italy, Maria has worked and thrifted to cultivate her garden and supply her family with food and ensure nothing is wasted. This notion is reflected in the detail of the drawing, which is overlaid with a “wire frame” digital perspective line drawing to indicate present and future ways of living. With her suburb under pressure from new developments, homes and gardens are being rapidly demolished, Maria’s garden will one day be lost.
Grealy’s practise is inspired by her work as an architectural illustrator, using observations of both existing and imagined buildings, landscapes and spaces. She lives and works in Meanjin (Brisbane, QLD).
‘Whether it be a scrawled map, a line in the sand, the scratch of a burnt stick across a cave wall or a digital record of the movement of a stylus, that simple evidence of an intentional touch is fundamental to what drawing is. This compulsion to leave a mark is a very human desire, and the profound and extensive potential of drawing emerges from it.’
Dr Maryanne Coutts, Head of Drawing, National Art School
The biennial Dobell Drawing Prize is Australia’s leading prize for drawing, an unparalleled celebration of technique, innovation and expanded drawing practices. The $30,000 acquisitive prize is presented by the National Art School in partnership with the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation and explores the enduring importance of drawing within contemporary art practice. The winning work will enter the National Art School’s significant collection, built over the past 120 years.
We’d also like to congratulate our additional winners:
Highly Commended – Jayanto Tan
Highly Commended – Jennifer Tighe
Viewers Choice – Margaret Ambridge
SATURDAY 27 May 2023, 3pm
NAS Galleries
Dr Maryanne Coutts is the Head of Drawing at the National Art School. Join her ‘in conversation’ with the winner of the Dobell Drawing Prize #23 Jane Grealy, with other exhibition finalists for a discussion surrounding the artists’ practices, the relevance of art prizes in the contemporary visual art landscape and expanded drawing practices.
The catalogue for the Dobell Drawing Prize #23 celebrates the 2023 iteration of the prize held at NAS Galleries. The publication includes forewords by Steven Alderton, National Art School Director and CEO and Michelle Belgiorno-Nettis, Sir William Dobell Art Foundation and an essay by Dr Maryanne Coutts, National Art School Head of Drawing. The 64 finalists have a spread each with an image of their work and accompanying artist statement.
The selection process for the Dobell Drawing Prize #23 is complete, thank you to all the artists who entered. Judges Catherine O’Donnell, Paula Latos-Valier and Katrina Cashman had the challenging task of individually reviewing 1062 entries to choose the 64 finalists whose works will appear in the Dobell Drawing Prize #23 exhibition in the NAS Gallery from 31 March to 10 June, 2023. Congratulations to all the finalists.
Tamsin Ainslie
Margaret Ambridge
Maree Azzopardi
John Bokor
Godwin Bradbeer
Liz Bradshaw
Nicki Brancatisano
Catherine (Cath) Brophy
Armando Chant
Sally Clarke
Erin Coates
Fiona Currey-Billyard
Clare Delaney
Christophe Domergue
Linda Fardoe
Nic Fern
Sue Field
Angus Fisher
Ashley Frost
Joanna Gambotto
Chris Gentle
Jane Grealy
S.C. Grennan
Sylvia Griffin
Simon Harris
John Hart
Iluwanti Ken
Sandra Kiris
Kenneth Lambert
Alison Mackay
Danie Mellor
Liam Nunan
Daniel O’Toole
Toshiko Oiyama
Martin John Oldfield
Anastasia Parmson
Lori Pensini
Nic Plowman
Ross Potter
Lucy Ray
Anna Louise Richardson
Jeff Rigby
Jason Roberts
Julie Rrap
Lindy Sale
Robert Shepherd
Sally Simpson
Ben Soedradjit
Amber Subaki
Jayanto Tan
Remnim Alexander Tayco
Michael Terkildsen
Luke Thurgate
Jennifer Tighe
Floria Tosca
Claire Tozer
Alan Tracey
Teo Treloar
Yvette Tziallas
Bronwyn Van de Graaff
Nina Walton
Gary Warner
Anna Warren
Paul White
Catherine O’Donnell’s art practice focuses on the urban landscape, representing the commonly overlooked dwellings of Sydney suburbia in an abstracted form. She holds a Master of Fine Art (Drawing) from the National Art School, and a Bachelor of Fine Art (Distinction and Dean’s Medal) from Western Sydney University.
She exhibits widely and is represented in public and private collections. Exhibition highlights include the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennale; Dobell Prize for Drawing; Kedumba Drawing Award; Trinity Buoys Wharfs Drawing Prize; Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing; and Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award (JADA).
Catherine’s works are held in many collections including the Art Gallery of NSW, NSW Parliament House Art Collection, Artbank, National Art School, Korean Art Foundation, MAMA, and the Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings. Artist residencies have taken her across Australia and overseas, including the British School at Rome, Cité des Arts in Paris, and Scuola International di Grafica, Venice. Catherine is represented by Dominik Mersch Gallery.
Paula Latos-Valier is a US-born curator and visual arts administrator whose career in senior visual arts roles spans over four decades, largely in Australia. She is currently the Art Director for the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, Vice President of the Art Gallery Society of NSW and chairs the Gallery Advisory Committee for the SH Ervin Gallery. Paula was instrumental in the management and delivery of the Biennale of Sydney from 1981 including as Managing Director from 2004 until 2007.
Her former positions also include Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, coordinator of the 1990 opening of the inaugural Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, International Exhibition Manager for the Australian Gallery Director’s Council, Director of the Australian American Fulbright Commission, Director of Alliance Française de Sydney and past Board Member of the Visual Arts/Craft Board of the Australia Council.
She was awarded a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2005 and an Honorary AM in 2018 for her service to the arts and academic exchange.
Katrina Cashman is an Australian curator with over 25 years of experience in leadership and arts management roles in the galleries and museums sector in Australia and internationally. Katrina has comprehensive experience in Australian contemporary art, curating over 45 major group and solo survey exhibitions. In her role as Gallery Manager and Senior Curator at the National Art School, Katrina leads the NAS Galleries team to produce NAS’s dynamic program of exhibitions, arts projects and related cultural activities.
WINNER
Euan Macleod, Borderlands – Between NSW and QLD, 2020, pastel on paper, 156 x 120 cm
WINNER, PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Joanna Gambotto, Hill End Interior 1 (Denningtons Cottage: Kim and Lino’s), 2020, charcoal and pastel on paper, 115 x 330 cm
2021 GUEST JUDGE
Lucy Culliton
JUDGE’S STATEMENT
In the initial stage of judging, I was surprised by the variety of materials artists use to make drawings – from ceramics, stitching and painting to digital technology. In judging the finalists, we selected some of these works because of their drawing merits. The initial round was judged digitally, so when I saw the finalists hung it was a pleasure and a surprise. My final decision came down to a fundamental drawing practice, with my top three finalists being Amanda Penrose Heart, Martin King and Euan Macleod. Euan’s work is fast and immediate drawing, describing a landscape in a blur of activity. There is an accurate freshness I am drawn to, making Euan the winner of this year’s Dobell Drawing Prize.
Dobell Prize for Drawing at the Art Gallery of NSW
Visit the AGNSW website for the full archive of the Dobell Prize for Drawing (1993-2012)
Margaret Ambridge
b. 1966, Adelaide
Lives and works Adelaide
The Longest Sleep 2020
charcoal and Indian ink on drafting film
67 × 84 cm
Photo: Mark Fitz-Gerald
Suzanne Archer
b. 1945, Guildford, United Kingdom
Lives and works Wedderburn NSW
Vasculum and Exuviae-Custodian Series 2020
ink and chalk pastel on paper
diptych: each panel 160 × 140 cm
Maree Azzopardi
b. 1966, Sydney
Lives and works Central Coast, NSW
Along the Ranges 2020
Japanese ink, charcoal, pen, collage and gouache on artist concertina book
19 × 188 cm
Belinda Birchall
b. 1959, Harare, Zimbabwe
Lives and works Dunsborough WA
A Fine Separation 2020
charcoal and graphite on CFC board
diptych: each panel 40 × 60 cm
Photo: Lulu Cavanaugh
Stephen Bird
Stephen Bird
b. 1964, Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom
Lives and works Sydney
Man cooking eggs on a fire 2020
ink on paper
48 × 64 cm
Tom Blake
b. 1985, Perth
Lives and works Sydney/Perth
if the leaves are still there (holding on to a letter) 2020
de-silvered mirrors, paint, aluminium, LED lights, Tasmanian Oak
triptych: each panel 30 × 40 cm
John Bokor
b. 1973, Sydney
Lives and works Bulli NSW
The Lounge Room in Spring 2020
charcoal, wash and collage on paper
85 × 100 cm
GW Bot
b. 1954, Quetta, Pakistan
Lives and works Canberra
The Oracle 2020
graphite on Colombe paper
122 × 83 cm
Photo: Brenton McGeachie
Matt Bromhead
b. 1984, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Thirty Views West 2020
charcoal and pastel on cotton paper
77 × 112 cm
Photo: Document Photography
Anthony Cahill
b. 1959, Sydney
Lives and works Blackheath NSW
Love Song 2020
charcoal pencil, soft pastel and water on toned paper
60 × 54 cm
Photo: Silversalt Photography
Mitch Cairns
b. 1984, Camden NSW
Lives and works Sydney
TASTE etc… (2 & 7) 2019
linocut, collage and dry pastel on paper
diptych: each panel 56 × 37.5 cm
Tom Carment
b. 1954, Sydney
Lives and works Adelaide
Weed on John Taylor’s grave 2020
pencil on paper
30 × 21 cm
Tom Carment
b. 1954, Sydney
Lives and works Adelaide
Mara reading 2020
pencil on paper
21 × 30 cm
Chris Casali
b. 1971, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Wollemi 2019
graphite pencil and watercolour on Yupo paper
92 × 63 cm
Susanna Castleden
b. 1968, London
Lives and works Fremantle WA
1:1 Expeditor (twin tail left) 2019
graphite and gesso on rag paper
198 × 202.5 cm
Photo: Rob Frith
Joshua Charadia
b. 1996, Campbelltown NSW
Lives and works Sydney
Peripheral View 56 2020
willow charcoal on Hahnemühle paper
107 × 78 cm
Maryanne Coutts
b. 1960, Ballarat VIC
Lives and works Sydney
Dress Code 2020
watercolour, gouache, collage, pen, charcoal ink, paper, sandpaper, fabric, hand-drawn animations, LED light, coat-hangers, found book, frames
dimensions variable
Adrian De Giorgio
b. 1980, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
▎ 2020
Posca paint marker on primed pine
240 × 24 cm
Damian Dillon
b. Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
(dis)integration #10 2020
oil stick, pencil and texta on dye sublimation print, mounted on alumniniun
100 × 100 cm
Amy Dynan
b. 1985, Newcastle NSW
Lives and works Sydney
Set wide the window 2020
soft pastel, charcoal on paper
diptych: each panel 101 × 75 cm
Yvonne East
b. 1977, Meningie SA
Lives and works Sydney
Concerns with representation of the beloved, Austen age 14 2020
charcoal on canvas
74 × 85 cm
Stephanie Eather
b. 1987, Mornington, VIC
Lives and works Melbourne
Show Me An Angel and I Will Paint One 2019
charcoal on paper
100 × 140 cm
David Fairbairn
b. 1949, Kitwe, Zambia
Lives and works Wedderburn NSW
INTIMACY 2020
gouache, willow charcoal, copper etching on paper
12 parts: 234 × 254 cm (overall)
Jackson Farley
b. 1994, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
every kingdom was born to die 2020
pigment print on cotton rag
168 × 126 cm, unique state print
Philip Faulks
b. 1959, St Albans, United Kingdom
Lives and works Melbourne
Show of Hands 2020
pencil, ink and gouache on paper
115 × 85 cm
Mandy Francis
b. 1975, Ngunbay / Cairns QLD
Lives and works Darkinjung / Ettalong Beach NSW
The sun and moon 2020
oil pastels on acid-free paper
diptych: each panel 112 × 77 cm
Todd Fuller
b. 1988, Maitland NSW
Lives and works Sydney
Parkside Crescent 2020
hand-drawn animation (charcoal on paper)
1:52 minutes, edition of 8
Joanna Gambotto
b. 1985, Nowy Sącz, Poland
Lives and works Avalon Beach NSW
Hill End Interior 1 (Denningtons Cottage: Kim and Lino’s) 2020
charcoal and pastel on paper
115 × 330 cm
Minka Gillian
b. 1975, Canberra
Lives and works Point Clare, NSW
The Origin of the World (after Courbet) 2020
ink, acrylic and pen on paper
77 × 56 cm
Photo: Matthew Young
Jane Grealy
b. 1955, Hobart
Lives and works Brisbane
Black Dog 2020 2020
charcoal on paper
120 × 90 cm
Photo: Martin Berry
Nicci Haynes
b. 1962, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Lives and works Canberra
Drawing. Dancing. 2019
animation (graphite on laser prints)
3:32 minutes, edition of 5
Kendal Heyes
b. 1952, Auckland
Lives and works Coledale NSW
Swimmer 2020
pokerwork on Saunders watercolour paper
76 × 56 cm
Alun Rhys Jones
b. 1970, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Lives and works Camden NSW
I, Full Sleeve 2019
charcoal on Stonehenge paper
230 × 130 cm
Locust Jones
b. 1963, Christchurch
Lives and works Katoomba NSW
September TwentyTwenty 2020
ink, pencil and collage on paper
300 × 200 cm
Photo: Harry Klein
Jumaadi
b. 1973, Sidoarjo, Indonesia
Lives and works Sydney
Twenty twenty 2020
Chinagraph on paper
200 × 217 cm
Jennifer Keeler-Milne
b. Melbourne
Lives and works Sydney
Wattle 2020
charcoal on prepared paper
114 × 180 cm
Iluwanti Ken
b. 1944, Watarru, APY Lands SA
Lives and works Amata Community, APY Lands SA
Walawulu ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting) 2020
pigment ink on Saunders Waterford paper
152 × 200 cm
Martin King
b. 1957, Melbourne
Lives and works Melbourne
strangerlands 1 2020
graphite, gouache and gold leaf on drafting film, watercolour, on paper
148 × 226 cm
Photo: Matthew Stanton
Debbie Locke
b. 1966, London
Lives and works Melbourne
Retracing Your Steps – Lockdown II 2020
ink on paper
68 × 57 cm
Euan Macleod
b. 1956, Christchurch
Lives and works Sydney
Borderlands – Between NSW and QLD 2020
pastel on paper
15 parts: 156 × 120 cm (overall)
Photo: Michele Brouet
Brian Martin
b. 1972, Sydney
Methexical Countryscape Paakantyi # 18 2020
charcoal on paper
210 × 150 cm
Julian Martin
b. 1969, Melbourne
Lives and works Melbourne
Not titled 2019
pastel on paper
56 × 36 cm
Noel McKenna
b. 1956, Brisbane
Lives and works Sydney
Major in Backyard 2020
ink on paper
40 × 56 cm
Peta Minnici
b. 1990, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Looking into Bundanon 2019
ink on Saunders paper
83.5 ×x 66.4 cm
Reg Mombassa
b. 1951, Auckland
Lives and works Sydney
Rockface and bush above Coledale 2020
charcoal and coloured pencil on paper
25 × 34cm
Photo: Martina O’Doherty
Nick Morris
b. 1966, Ballarat VIC
Lives and works Torquay VIC
Brookes St. 2020
paper, acrylic, oil, wax pencil and oil pencil on canvas
76 × 76 cm
Anna Mould
b. 1986, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Dust and Metal 2020
ink and coloured pencil on paper
120 × 150 cm
Al Munro
b. 1964, Canberra
Lives and works Canberra
Stitched Pleat II 2020
stranded embroidery thread on paper
100 × 80 cm
Anh Nguyen
b. 1984, Melbourne
Lives and works Thirroul NSW
School route, against the sun 2020
charcoal and soft pastel on paper
56 × 76 cm
Catherine O’Donnell
b. 1961, Quirindi NSW
Lives and works Glenbrook NSW
Waiting for the world to reopen 2020
charcoal on paper
180 × 97.5 cm
Travis Paterson
b. 1975, Brisbane
Lives and works Main Arm NSW
Christine 2020
incised slice tin
18.5 × 29 × 4 cm
Photo: Michelle Eabry
Amanda Penrose Hart
Reg 2019
graphite on paper
25 × 30 cm
Photo: Roller Photography
Maria Petrova
b. 1982, Moscow
Lives and works Melbourne
It’s Just a Game 2020
ballpoint pen on watercolour paper
75 x 55 cm
Anna Louise Richardson
b. 1992, Perth
Lives and works Perth
Ratsak 2020
charcoal on cement fibreboard
60 × 80 cm
Peter Sharp
b. 1964, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Burgess Beach 2020
charcoal on paper
10 parts: 150 × 150 cm (overall)
Emma Theyers
b. 1978, Clyde, New Zealand
Lives and works Brisbane
Untitled (Riverton Stones) 2020
charcoal on paper
140 × 60 cm
Noel Thurgate
b. 1955, Nowra NSW
Lives and works Sydney
Portrait of Kevin Norton 2020
charcoal and oil stick on paper
76 × 55 cm
Claire Tozer
b. 1959, Sydney
Lives and works Yattalunga NSW
Bouddi Trail 2020
ink on canvas
102 × 204 cm
Shonah Trescott
b. 1982, Maitland NSW
Lives and works Maitland NSW
Ashes 2020
bushfire ash on paper
25 parts: 288.5 × 205.9 cm (overall)
Photo: Osvaldo Budet
Leonardo Uribe
b. 1980, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Lives and works Katoomba NSW
Immigration Form 80 Page 3 2019
human hair on paper
48 × 38 cm
Photo: Sophie Conolly
Murat Urali
b. 1961, Izmir, Turkey
Lives and works Sydney
The Gift of Art, Self Portrait, A Relief after Francesco Del Cossa 2020
gold relief outliner, 24-carat gold powder, 22-carat gold leaf and rhinestones on paper board, mounted on wood panel
99 × 70 cm
Craig Waddell
b. 1973, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
35 Days With You 2020
ink, watercolour, pastel, gouache on paper
35 parts: 42 × 30 cm (each), 220 x 220 cm (overall)
Fiona White
b. 1964, Melbourne
Lives and works Pretty Beach NSW
Debutante 2019
oil stick and lacquer on board
78 × 65 cm
Paul White
b. 1976, Parramatta NSW
Lives and works Bulleen VIC
Cosmic debris (remnants in time) 2020
coloured pencil on paper
100 × 140 cm
Photo: Matthew Stanton
Tianli Zu
b. 1963, Beijing, China
Lives and works Sydney
Voiceless, Sherman Diptych 2020
charcoal, Chinese tea and ink, hand-cut paper
7 parts: 145 × 190 cm (overall)
This National Art School touring exhibition presents a selection of 44 finalists’ work from the 2021 Prize, including Euan Macleod’s winning work, chosen by guest judge and acclaimed artist Lucy Culliton.
Selected artists: Margaret Ambridge, Maree Azzopardi, Belinda Birchall, Stephen Bird, John Bokor, GW Bot, Matt Bromhead, Anthony Cahill, Mitch Cairns, Tom Carment, Chris Casali, Joshua Charadia, Damian Dillon, Amy Dynan, Yvonne East, Phillip Faulks, Todd Fuller, Joanna Gambotto, Minka Gillian, Jane Grealy, Nicci Haynes, Kendal Heyes, Alun Rhys Jones, Iluwanti Ken, Martin King, Debbie Locke, Euan Macleod, Brian Martin, Julian Martin, Noel McKenna, Peta Minnici, Reg Mombassa, Anna Mould, Anh Nguyen, Travis Paterson, Amanda Penrose Hart, Anna Louise Richardson, Peter Sharp, Claire Tozer, Leonardo Uribe, Murat Urlali, Craig Waddell, Paul White, Tianli Zu.
Logan Art Gallery, QLD
4 December 2021 – 15 January 2022
Bank Art Museum Moree
19 February – 5 April 2022
Gosford Art Gallery
23 April – 5 June 2022
Cowra Regional Art Gallery
25 June – 14 August 2022
Griffith Regional Art Gallery
26 August – 23 October 2022
Glasshouse Port Macquarie 5 November 2022 – 21 January 2023
The National Art School and Sir William Dobell Art Foundation are delighted to announce NAS alumna and former finalist Lucy Culliton as the guest judge for the 2021 prize. The judging process for the Dobell Drawing Prize #22 will occur in two phases. After individually reviewing each digital entry, Lucy Culliton (artist), Michelle Belgiorno (Trustee, Sir William Dobell Art Foundation) and Simon Cooper (Head of Studies, National Art School), will convene as a panel in December 2020 to select approximately 50 finalists. At the prize exhibition in March 2021, guest judge Lucy Culliton will choose the outright winner.
Lucy Culliton is one of Australia’s most recognised contemporary landscape and still life artists. Lucy studied at the National Art School and has exhibited her work nationally and internationally for over 20 years. The focus of her practice for the past ten years has been the animals, plants and landscape at her home in the high country of the NSW Monaro region. Culliton has been selected multiple times for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery NSW, as well as the Dobell Prize for Drawing and the Kedumba Drawing Award. In 1999, she received Highly Commended in the Portia Geach Memorial Award. In 2000, Culliton won the Mosman Art Prize and in 2004, the Kedumba Drawing Award. Lucy’s work can be found in the collections of the Art Gallery NSW, Australian Parliament House, National Gallery of Australia, Macquarie Bank, New England Regional Art Gallery and Tamworth Regional Gallery. Lucy is represented by King Street Gallery on William, Sydney.
Michelle Belgiorno is an exhibiting artist, a company director, a Director of the not-for-profit Australian Wildlife Conservancy and a long-serving trustee on the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation. She has a BA Fine Arts, BA Honours Japanese and a Master of Commerce. Michelle has a background in corporate communications and extensive experience in the philanthropic sector in Australia.
Simon Cooper has practiced and exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally. His work is held in numerous private and public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Australia. He has taught within a range of institutions including the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne; RMIT University, Melbourne; University of Southern Queensland and the Chisholm Institute, Melbourne. Since joining the National Art School in 2001 as Head of Printmaking, he has held other academic positions within the School including Acting Director and is currently Head of Studies.
Winner
Justine Varga, Photogenic Drawing 2018, chromogenic photograph, 151.5 × 120 cm
Highly Commended
Tony Albert, Old Sins Cast Long Shadows 2018, ink on archival paper, 233 × 76 cm
2019 Guest judge
Ben Quilty (artist)
Judges’ statement
‘Drawing is a fundamental part of many visual art practices. The winner of the Dobell Drawing Prize #21 uses drawing in the most meaningful and sophisticated way. Her work is a distillation of so many components of our collective lives. Drawing plays a pivotal role in this artist’s exploration of us all. The winning work is a powerful, playful and sophisticated 21st century drawing and a deserved winner.’
‘Highly commended goes to an artist who is relentlessly and skillfully re-writing dialogues about Australian histories. Drawing underpins his practice. Old Sins Cast Long Shadows uses the most simple drawing techniques to tell a formidably sophisticated story.’
Dobell Prize for Drawing at the Art Gallery of NSW
Visit the AGNSW website for the full archive of the Dobell Prize for Drawing (1993-2012).
Badra Aji
b. 1985, Pekalongan, Indonesia. Lives and works Sydney
Neko’s Night Watch (After Bouguereau) 2018
pencil on paper, 110 x 76 cm
Photo: Max Milne
Tony Albert – Highly Commended
b. 1981, Townsville, QLD
Lives and works Sydney
Old Sins Cast Long Shadows 2018
ink on archival paper
233 x 76 cm
Leonie Andrews
b. 1957, Sydney
Lives and works Kambah, ACT
365 Days 2017
rayon, plastic, cotton thread on cotton
60 x 45 cm
Photo: Stephen Lee
Suzanne Archer
b. 1945, Guildford, United Kingdom
Lives and works Wedderburn, NSW
Messenger Masks 2018
paper, ink, charcoal, chalk pastel, graphite, acrylic paint, metal strands
90 x 150 x 50 cm (installed, dimensions variable)
Photo: Stephen Oxenbury
Martin Bell
b.1978, Melbourne
Lives and works Snake Valley, Victoria
Snakes And Ladders 2018
ink on paper
244 x 228 cm
M. Bozzec
b. 1973, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Boys keep swinging 2018
colour pencil on paper
178.8 x 63 cm
Michelle Caithness
b. 1967, Melbourne
Lives and works Melbourne
Fundere 2018
charcoal, conté crayon, polymer paint, acrylic spray paint on cotton, mounted on canvas
153 x 215 cm
Photo: Clive Murray-White
Kristone Capistrano
b. 1986, Olongapo City, Philippines
Lives and works Sydney
The Sleep of Fillippi Castillo 2018
charcoal, pastel and sandpaper on cotton rag paper
223 x 153 cm
Tom Carment
b. 1954, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
James Scanlon reading the Blue Mountains Gazette 2018
pencil on paper
36 x 42 cm
Photo: Penelope Clay
Tom Carment
b. 1954, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
His last days (James Evans) 2018
pencil on paper
30 x 42 cm
Photo: Penelope Clay
Tanya Chaitow
b. 1957, Johannesburg, South Africa
Lives and works in Sydney
Frame of mind (1 and 2) 2018
conté crayon, charcoal, gouache, collage on paper
two parts: 130 x 92 cm (each)
Photo: Alex Barnes-Keoghan
Ari Chand
b. 1989, Sydney
Lives and works Newcastle, NSW
Juxtarepository 3 / Catch a fallen star and put it in your pocket 2018
graphite on paper
57 x 76.5 cm
Photo: Alex Barnes-Keoghan
Joshua Charadia
b. 1996, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Peripheral View 18 2018
willow charcoal on paper
71 x 50 cm
Matthew Clarke
b. 1986, Warrnambool, Victoria
Lives and works Kirkstall, Victoria
Working class man today 2018
pen on paper 50 x 70 cm
Photo: Tracey Togni
Penny Coss
b. 1961, Sydney
Lives and works in Perth
Meteorites (heavy fall) 2018
graphite on paper on aluminium
185 x 87 cm
Maryanne Coutts
b. 1960, Ballarat, Victoria
Lives and works Sydney
Until the last breath 2018
digital video, animated drawing, colour
1:45 minutes, 45 x 37 cm, artist’s proof
Fiona Currey-Billyard
b. 1967, Aitape, Papua New Guinea
Lives and works Nambucca Heads, NSW
For the Drowned 2018
graphite on paper
220 x 275 cm
Photo: Mike Buick
Dagmar Cyrulla
b. 1966, Teilfingen, Germany
Lives and works Melbourne
The Artist & the Model 2018
pencil on paper
96 x 106 cm
Madeleine Joy Dawes
b. 1988, Melbourne
Lives and works Melbourne
Rebuild 2018
pen on cotton paper
150 x 150 cm
Amy Dynan
b. 1985, Newcastle, NSW
Lives and works Sydney
Poppies–Stillness in Movement 2017
charcoal on paper
207 x 146 cm
Helen Eager
b. 1952, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Prototypes 2017–18
colour pencil on paper
74 x 147 cm
Yvonne East
b. 1977, Meningie, SA
Lives and works Sydney
Twelve years of protection 2018
charcoal on canvas
215 x 175 cm
Stephanie Eather
b. 1987, Mornington, VIC
Lives and works Melbourne
Cave of Altamira (in Brunswick) 2018
charcoal on canvas
198 x 298 cm
David Fairbairn
b. 1949, Kitwe, Zambia
Lives and works Wedderburn, NSW
Drawn Together Quartet Double Portraits V.H.& J.E.L. Nos 1–4 2018
acrylic, gouache, ink, charcoal, pastel on paper
210 x 280 cm
Photo: Bernie Fischer
George Gittoes
b. 1949, Sydney
Lives and works Werri Beach, NSW
LI’L DAVE LI’L DAVE Guns Kill 2018
oil-based spray paint on canvas
152.5 x 122.5 cm
Photo: WAQARALAM
Richard Goodwin
b.1953, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Chiastic Space Algorithm 2018
charcoal acrylic on primed canvas
200 x 200 cm
Kendal Heyes
b. 1952, Auckland, New Zealand
Lives and works Coledale, NSW
Ocean 5 2018
pokerwork on paper
76 x 168 cm
Mark Hislop
b. 1962, Cooma, NSW
Lives and works Melbourne
It is to the air that I dedicate myself 2018
graphite and charcoal on paper
31.5 x 281 cm
Daniel Hollier
b. 1979, Canberra
Lives and works Sydney
BlackWhite Construction #7 2018
ink on paper mounted on panel
50 x 55 cm
Photo: Jessica Maurer
Pollyxenia Joannou
b.1953, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Studio Trilogy a, b & c 2018
graphite, pigment, acrylic paint on unbleached felt
70 x 194 cm
Photographer credit: John McRae
Alan Jones
b. 1977, Gosford, NSW
Lives and works Sydney
The Fire Trail 1 2018
pigment print on cotton rag paper
41 x 45 cm
Locust Jones
b.1963, Christchurch, New Zealand
Lives and works Katoomba, NSW
October 2018 2018
Ink on glassine, LED bight boxes
two parts: 139 x 159 cm (each, framed)
Photo: Silversalt
Alex Karaconji
b.1989, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Morning 2018
digital video, stop-motion animation, sound
5:51 minutes
Sonia Kurarra
b. 1952, Yungngora (Noonkanbah), WA
Lives and works Fitzroy Crossing, WA
Martuwarra 2018
mixed media on paper
57 x 270 cm
Photo: Mangkaja Arts
Hyun Hee Lee
b. 1970, Seoul, South Korea
Lives and works Sydney
Winter Letter 2018
82 x 42 cm
ink, cotton thread, pencil on Korean hanji paper
Brooke Leigh
b. 1990, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Drawn-Out 2017
digital video documenting one-hour artist performance, colour and sound
18:42 minutes
Ruark Lewis
b. 1960, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
STAR SHELTERS II 31102018 A–B 2018
graphite on paper
43 x 57 cm each
Tanya Linney
b. 1977, Perth
Lives and works Sydney
Dirty fingers 2018
UV cured ink on canvas
47.5 x 37.5 cm
Lily Mae Martin
b. 1983, Melbourne
Lives and works Ballarat, NSW
Inexorable 2018
ink on cotton paper
104.5 x 76 cm
Photo: Gene Hammond-Lewis
Jonathan McBurnie
b. 1983, Townsville, QLD
Lives and works Townsville
Doom Patrol 2017–18
pencil, ink, watercolour on paper
300 x 200 cm
Photo: Rachel Cunningham
Noel McKenna
b. 1956, Brisbane
Lives and works Sydney
Interior A 2018
ink on paper
57.5 x 75.6 cm
Peta Minnici
b. 1990, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Dusk, Hill End 2017
pen on Paper
107 x 78 cm
Damian Moss
b. 1964, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Celestial Cartography No.12 2018
ink on torn paper
110 x 94 cm
Photo: Michel Brouet
Wendy Murray
b. 1974, Hamilton, New Zealand
Lives and works Sydney
Every Building on the Redfern Strip 2018
pen on wall
180 x 320 cm (dimensions variable)
Angus Nivison
b. 1953, Walcha, NSW
Lives and works Walcha
Key 2017
graphite, acrylic pigments on paper
175 x 125 cm
Chris O’Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa)
b. 1951, Auckland, New Zealand
Lives and works Sydney
Robot ‘priest’ with captured Australian, Hunter Valley 2018
charcoal, colour pencil, glitter on paper
54 x 37 cm
Photo: Martina O’Doherty
Catherine O’Donnell
b. 1961, Quirindi, NSW
Lives and works Glenbrook, NSW
Sirius 2018
charcoal on paper
45 x 150 cm
Photo: Silversalt photography
Catherine O’Donnell
b. 1961, Quirindi, NSW
Lives and works Glenbrook, NSW
Home 2018
charcoal on wall
220 x 185 cm
Photo: Silversalt photography
Toshiko Oiyama
b. 1947, Kagoshima Japan
Lives and works Sydney
Night Rain 2017
ink, pigmented ink, charcoal, conté crayon on paper
70 x 97 cm
Photo: Louis Taurian
Jenny Orchard
b. 1951, Ankara, Turkey
Lives and works Sydney
All Tomorrow’s stories 2018
ink on card
93.5 x 93.5 cm (framed)
Photo: Jenni Carter
Becc Ország
b. 1986, Melbourne
Lives and works Melbourne
Fantasy of virtue / All things and nothing 2018
graphite pencil, 24kt gold leaf on watercolour paper
75 x 158 cm, 86 x 169 cm (framed)
Kerrie Poliness
b. 1962, Melbourne
Lives and works Melbourne
Wooden drawing (BBKO 1) 2018
ink, gouache, balsa wood
70 cm (diameter)
Photo: Samantha Barrow
Monica Rohan
b. 1990, Beaudesert, QLD
Lives and works Brisbane
don’t look down don’t think about falling 2018
ink on paper
58 x 53.5 cm
Photo: Jon Linkins
Wendy Sharpe
b. 1960, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Ladders to the Sky 2018
gouache on concertina artist’s book
30 x 171 cm
Photo: Steven Cavanagah
Peter Solness
b. 1958, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Night Cricket, Hill End NSW 2017
ink jet print on cotton rag paper
80 x 120 cm
Kim Spooner
b. 1955, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Long After Magritte 2018
charcoal on cotton rag paper
152.5 x 152.5 cm
Photo: Peter Morgan
Luke Thurgate
b.1978, Sydney
Lives and works Stepney, SA
The Great Menace 2018
charcoal, pastel on paper
76.5 x 58.5 cm, 94.5 x 75 cm (framed)
Photo: Sam Roberts
Justine Varga – Winner
b. 1984, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
Photogenic Drawing 2018
chromogenic photograph
151.5 x 120 cm
Photo: Jenni Carter
Mirra Whale
b. 1979, Sydney
Lives and works Sydney
On Being Human (the Nauru Files) 2018
pencil, watercolour on paper
76 x 56 cm
Photo: Mim Stirling
NAS acts as the commission agent for the artist’s sale of their work to the buyer. NAS is not responsible for any GST payable on the sale price nor the loss of the sale should the buyer not complete the transaction. Should the buyer request a tax invoice it is the responsibility of the artist to provide one. The artist accepts that NAS will disburse the net amount of the sale proceeds after commission to the artist within 14 days of the conclusion of the sale. If an artist nominates a representative gallery on the Finalist Agreement, NAS will split the 30% commission equally with that gallery.
Sold works must remain on exhibition as per item 13 and must not be collected earlier than the dates advised by NAS.